Dissapointment

Saturday was really a great day. However, the great day was hampered by the lunch at Room 18 at Berjaya Times Square. Room 18 was an oriental restaurant under the giant umbrella of Tai Thong Resources. The quality of cuisine carved out from the kitchen of Tai Thong has always been marvelous. However, this particular outlet failed to impress me although the ambiance is modern and doesn't shout out the typical oriental restaurant set up (round table that seats twelve persons, pink or red table cloth).


-Picture taken from KLUE-

Last Saturday was my second visit to Room 18 to further clarify my doubt when I visited Room 18 on the second day of its official opening. I went over there for lunch with Cypher, Dope and Max. We decided to order dishes and accompany them with plain steamed white rice. Cypher ordered the Braised Beancurd with Roasted Pork Belly, Dope goes for the Prawn Wantan Soup and I opt for BBQ Three Combinations (Rosated Pork Belly + Char Siew + Roasted Chicken) and Stir Fried Kai Lan with Garlic.

Then all things starts to turn upside down. Apparently, those working there has their common sense robbed off. Beverages aside, the first food that arrives to our table isn't any one of the four dishes we have ordered. It was the 4 bowls of steamed rice!



We were forced to stare at the steamed white rice for a little over 10 minutes and by the time our dishes arrives, the rice has lost its warmth and the texture is hard. The BBQ three combination was good, except for the char siew which tasted "slightly plasticky". Other dishes tasted only so-so and the portion is actually ridiculously small considering we are paying over RM12.80 for a plate of Kai Lan, RM 10.80 for a bowl of prawn wantan soup (6 pieces), RM 16.80 for the beancurd and RM 26.80 for the BBQ three combination.

The damage done? Well, for four persons dining in, it costs us RM 92.15. This price was after the 18% ala carte discount. Without the discount, the price is RM 106.05, which is ridiculous for a four person lunch. This restaurant is definitely not worth it despite it is under the TT Resources umbrella. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go to Room 18 since I could get similar food but with better quality and bigger portion with much lower price at various restaurants around KL.

However, if you insist on trying, just heed to my advice- just turn away the pickles they served you when you landed your bottom on their comfy leather chairs. The bowl of pickles isn't complimentary at all. It costs RM3 per bowl. As a side note, the wet towels (those yellow packaging you see in the pictures above) are charged at RM1/piece and even if you didn't use it you will still be billed for the towel(s).